Student Groups

Northwestern University’s student groups provide students with camaraderie and friendship. They also offer students the opportunity to develop specialized skills such as event planning, PR, and financial management, preparing them for careers. Students also lead and manage groups, which tends to be challenging and immensely rewarding.

As a young university, NU-Q’s campus groups are still growing. Contact information has been provided for some of the groups below to help facilitate connections. Otherwise, contact student affairs for more information.

Find information about Education City-wide groups.

Women’s Basketball

Our Ladycats represent Northwestern in the Education City Inter-School Women's Basketball League. Founded during the 2009-2010 school year, the team went on to rank first among EC Universities in the league tournament, even as the newest team in Education City. The team has already proven its ability to succeed and creates an enormous amount of Wildcat spirit. 

Contact:

Men’s Football

The  first intramural sports team at NU-Q, the football team rallies Wildcat pride. The team is always looking for more players (the current roster of players is a joint team with players from Virginia Commonwealth University) and competes in the Education City Inter-School Boys’ Football League and some government sponsored tournaments. The team runs coaching and fitness training session twice a week. All skill levels are welcome. Training resumes each September.

Contact:

NU-Q Student Government (NUQSG)

The mission of the Student Government is to work with the Student Affairs staff to build community at NU-Q by organizing student events to create a vibrant campus life. 

New Wildcat traditions have already emerged in Qatar:

  • Go Wild Week – Every year in anticipation of spring finals, NUQSG coordinates a week-long series of events meant to celebrate the end of the school year.
  • Food 4 Thought - NU-Q faculty members occasionally invite students to lunch with the goal of allowing students to learn more about their academic life, academic interests and research, and simply get to know them better outside the classroom. Contact Student Affairs for upcoming talks.  
  • Students vs. Staff & Faculty Games – Who is bigger, badder, bolder – our NU-Q students or their archrivals, the staff and faculty? Come watch these two sides duke it out on the court or the field, or join in yourself to represent your team.
  • Issue Advocacy – Student government also allows students to have a voice at their university.  Students can run for positions on the Executive Board, and at open meetings, members and non-members alike deliberate student issues.

NU-Q Film Society

With its selections, the NU-Q Film Society expands the choice of film available in Qatar and Education City. Post-film discussions promote thought-provoking discussion of the issues and themes seen within the films. Group members and audiences alike will find their niche within this burgeoning cinematic community.

Films are screened weekly throughout the academic year, each one part of a broader 3-week themed series.

Oh Snap! Photography Club

Cameras are a big part of student life at NU-Q. Here, you can test, explore, and snap away while you put into practice everything you learn on a daily basis. The club offers a great chance to further your photography skills and show off your work, while helping to coordinate opportunities for your fellow students to display their photography skills as well.

Purple Project

Purple Project members reach out to the community as ambassadors of Education City and Northwestern University Qatar.  They help the community in a way that makes a difference.  Members help  educate the community about the social, economic and cultural diversity issues that Qatar is facing. A collaborative group, , they  strengthenthe ties between students, faculty and staff. 

Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ)

SPJ is dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty. It is the role of journalists to provide  information in an accurate, comprehensive, timely and understandable manner.

It is the mission of the Society of Professional Journalists:

To promote this flow of information. To maintain constant vigilance in protection of the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press. To stimulate high standards and ethical behavior in the practice of journalism. To foster excellence among journalists. To inspire successive generations of talented individuals to become dedicated journalists. To encourage diversity in journalism. To be the pre-eminent, broad-based membership organization for journalists. To encourage a climate in which journalism can be practiced freely.

Future student groups

Student groups are starting, growing, and changing all the time. If you are interested in starting your own group, you may be able to fund it through a Student Organization Charter Application.

The following budding organizations will be starting soon. Contact Student Affairs for more information or to get involved.

  • Dance
  • Theater
  • Best Buddies